logo
Aontú deputy leader accuses Sinn Féin of ‘smoke and mirrors' tactics over voting rights bill

Aontú deputy leader accuses Sinn Féin of ‘smoke and mirrors' tactics over voting rights bill

Gemma Brolly calls on party to explain why it hasn't backed presidential election proposals
Aontú is calling on Sinn Féin to explain why it hasn't signed a bill in the Dáil to give Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland the right to vote in the Republic's presidential election.
The party's deputy leader, Gemma Brolly, said she was 'hugely frustrated' at Sinn Féin's failure so far to respond to correspondence from Aontú leader Peadar Toibín on the issue. Sinn Féin has been contacted for comment.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘It's absolutely the best time to highlight the benefits of emigration to the US – Trump says he is all for legal immigration'
‘It's absolutely the best time to highlight the benefits of emigration to the US – Trump says he is all for legal immigration'

Irish Independent

time3 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

‘It's absolutely the best time to highlight the benefits of emigration to the US – Trump says he is all for legal immigration'

Thousands who got Morrison visas in the 1990s are showing their gratitude to the politician who made it happen, says businesswoman Elaine Brennan Today at 21:30 Elaine Brennan was in London in 1994 when her mother phoned to say she'd won the lottery. Not the Lotto, you understand, although almost as lucrative and life-changing. It was the lottery for Morrison visas, which allowed about 45,000 Irish people to live and work in the United States at a time when the economy here was ailing. 'There was almost 20pc unemployment,' Brennan recalls. 'I remember looking at job applications, and the only one I could get an interview for was washing dishes in a hotel in Ennis, and that was with a science degree.'

Government is ‘lying' to Irish people over triple lock for peacekeeping missions, ‘Game of Thrones' actor Liam Cunningham claims
Government is ‘lying' to Irish people over triple lock for peacekeeping missions, ‘Game of Thrones' actor Liam Cunningham claims

Irish Independent

time3 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

Government is ‘lying' to Irish people over triple lock for peacekeeping missions, ‘Game of Thrones' actor Liam Cunningham claims

©Press Association Today at 21:30 The Government is 'siding with warmongers', Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham said yesterday, as he endorsed an opposition campaign to 'defend Irish neutrality'. Cunningham was speaking at the launch of a new People Before Profit pamphlet, 'No To War – Defend Irish Neutrality', which is published in opposition to Government plans to change the triple lock system for overseas deployments.

Almost one in four Irish earners is paying no income tax, says Revenue
Almost one in four Irish earners is paying no income tax, says Revenue

Irish Independent

time3 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

Almost one in four Irish earners is paying no income tax, says Revenue

While the number of taxpayer units earning enough to be liable for the standard rate will be just over 2.2 million, an estimated 1.06 million of these, or 30pc, will not pay anything because their liability is fully covered by their tax credits. Another 256,600 taxpayer units, or 7pc of the total, are exempt from income tax. The statistics, contained in an answer by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to a Dáil question, means 37pc of earners will pay no income tax this year. In an annual report on the Irish economy, published yesterday, the European Commission emphasised the need to reduce the risks created by the high concentration of tax revenue among a relatively small number of payers. Ireland should broaden its tax base, given the reliance on relatively few foreign-owned multinationals, and there is particular scope for expanding the local property charge, the commission says. 'Ireland's labour-tax system is highly progressive, but it relies on a narrow tax base,' according to the report, which says the top 10pc of taxpayers accounted for approximately 60pc of the tax yield in 2022. This concentration of revenue means the tax base is vulnerable to economic shifts. Ireland's labour-tax revenues are well below the EU average, and 'to cope with high projected budget expenses, diversification in Ireland's public revenue structure is warranted', the report says. Ireland's share of labour taxes as a proportion of GDP is not even half the EU average, and remains below the EU average when adjusted to GNI*, a measure of economic activity that takes out the distorting effect of multinationals. There is also scope to expand the local property charge, since the revenue collected – which was 1.8pc of GNI* in 2022 – is also below the EU average, which was 2.1pc that year. On the spending side, the European Commission calls on Ireland to 'reinforce' defence spending in line with decisions reached by the European Council in March. The report points out that spending on defence in Ireland remained stable at 0.2pc of GDP between 2021 and 2023. According to its forecast, it will remain at this level for both last year and this year. This means there has been no change in four years. ADVERTISEMENT As the healthcare system is overly reliant on costly hospital care, exacerbated by the lack of universal primary care coverage, there is scope for reform to alleviate the strain on hospitals The commission says there are still concerns about the impact that spending by the healthcare system is having on fiscal sustainability. The ageing of the population is going to mean an increase in health spending of 1.5pc of GDP by 2070, while across the EU the average increase is projected to be 0.4pc. 'As the healthcare system is overly reliant on costly hospital care, exacerbated by the lack of universal primary care coverage, there is scope for reform to alleviate the strain on hospitals,' the report says. Given the heightened political uncertainty, Ireland's dependence on foreign multinationals needs to be looked at, and the European Commission warns there is an 'urgent need' to build a more resilient, innovation-driven domestic economy. It points out that spending on research and development (R&D) in Ireland is at one of the lowest rates in the EU, accounting for just 0.4pc of GNI*. This has led to a noticeable technology innovation gap between Irish SMEs and their counterparts in comparable European countries. 'Boosting R&D expenditure and providing targeted Research and Innovation (R&I) support could help boost SME productivity,' it says.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store